Event name: Supercell World Premier
Event time and place: September 21, 2023 at The Clarice
I think this performance was interesting to say the least. I feel it was trying too hard to be unique and different from anything else in art, which is good, as experimentation is important, but it didn’t work for me personally. The performance itself was about water shortages, with the performers being several days, then weeks, then months without fresh water, due to humans’ overuse and abuse of fresh water access. They then showed the destructive capacity of storms that are caused by climate change by running in circles. The messaging was helpful compared to traditional approaches as it forces the audience to think deeply about the choices in dancing, audio, lighting, and clothing, which can help the audience understand the message better, if they figure out the message. However, there were many strange aspects to this performance that made it feel less helpful compared to traditional approaches. There were a lot of abstract and confusing portions in the performance that made me lose focus on the actual performance as I was trying to piece together the information and message.
I felt uncomfortable about the piece. While I understood the message they were trying to convey, it was muddled with strange choices and choreography. It made other members of the audience uncomfortable and confused as well, to which I had to explain the meaning behind this performance. I noticed that portions of the piece were unintentionally funny, but the piece was taking itself extremely seriously. Additionally, there was one thing in this performance that might impair the understanding of global climate change, which was the implied sexual nature in the beginning of the performance, where the dancers were slowly moving and caressing bags of water, with ropes connecting the dancers to each other and to the bags. In addition to their slow and intimate dancing, they wore very little clothing. I understand that them being chained to the water bags is meant to represent humans’ need for water, and the lack of clothing is to also represent the desperate and poor times that are occurring in the performance. However, it all culminated into a strange and weird environment for us to enter in, making us in the audience wonder if the whole performance would be this strange.
I feel that the ideal audience for this performance would be open-minded climate-change activists. This is the ideal audience for this performance because this is a very niche and unpersuasive presentation. If you do not already believe in climate change, this performance will not change your mind, and you will find it entertaining instead. Even among climate change believers, this performance is meant for the most intense supporters, as it is an intense and serious performance. Any other group of people will find it strange, humorous, or unpersuasive.
During the Q&A, I heard an audience member ask why the performers had small cameras attached to different parts of their bodies. The creators said that there were cameras to show different perspectives of the performers. Their experiences in the dystopian future with lack of water. It was also to show the movement and chaotic nature of the performance, to represent the chaotic and messy nature of storms and hurricanes, as well as people trying to get access to water.